Iraq Shiites Strong
In Early Results;
Gains for Sistani

By

Farnaz Fassihi Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Feb. 4, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Partial results from some polling stations in Iraq indicated an even stronger-than-expected margin of victory for the slate backed by Shiite religious leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Among votes counted so far, the United Iraqi Alliance won three votes for every one for the secular group backed by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

The results are very preliminary, coming in from just 10% of polling stations, and don't include any vote count from the north, where the ethnic Kurdish slate is expected...